Partners
by amalspach
Summary: Nick and Judy are still partners a year after the events of Zootopia. But now they are being selected as the first cops to test out new technology that can turn them into different species. How will this new change of pace effect the dynamic duo? A multi-chapter, cohesive Judy/Nick fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Zootopia, just the plot. The exception to this rule is all of the OCs, like the cops and the scientists, and the invention of the transfigurers. That was all stuff coming directly from my imagination, so if anyone steals this idea, just know that I had it first.

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It started off as just a regular day at the ZPD. Judy, as usual, was there obscenely early, before even the sun got up. And Nick, her partner in crime (or very possibly stopping it) was just making the cut for work. Everyone else was mingling rather loudly, but the pair of cops were sharing a seat and sitting calmly.

"Look, Carrots, if you are here super early, why can't you pick me up a coffee on the way? You've got time to burn." She gasped in mock shock.

"You? Being late because you wanted coffee? Well I never. But Nick, I'm not going to buy you anything. You'll try to bleed me dry." It was true, and the fox knew it. Even becoming a police officer hadn't drained _all_ of his bad habits out of him; only the vast majority. He began to open his mouth, but was saved from trying to come up with a terrible defense by Chief Bogo. The buffalo (or perhaps bull; Nick had never really been sure) had moved up to the podium with a handful of new assignments.

"Attention!" he bellowed. Everyone turned their eyes to the front of the room. "Good. Officers Dogwood, Greitch, and Polo; Tundra Town. We have a major robbery case that needs immediate resolving. Now officers Eleanor, Racket, and Ramsbottom; you will be working in Sahara Square on a missing persons assignment. Leonard, Salane, and Griffith; you officers are going to put away a hacker stationed somewhere in Rainforest District. The rest of you cops, head off to Savana Central to deal with some escaped criminals." The animals in the room walked up to the front, picking up their pamphlets one by one. Judy and Nick were the last to leave. "Up bup bup," Bogo scolded. "Not you two." Judy blinked.

"What?" she asked. "Did we do something wrong?" Nick shrugged back at her, just as confused.

"Why," the Chief started, rolling his eyes. "Would I put my top cops on an assignment I already issued out to 5 officers? No, I have a special assignment for you two." He cleared his throat and brought out a small red folder from the podium. It was shinier than the others, and thicker, sure signs that this task would be special. "You two must understand that it is extraordinarily important, and with that importance, it is top secret. Get it? You tell _no one_." The two cops nodded their heads and sat back down, still confused. The Chief leaned in.

"In this folder," he said, sliding the case file across the table towards them. "Is the information on a project our best scientists have been working on. Do you know how hard it is to go undercover in a city filled with animals? It is far too easy for other creatures, especially those of the same species, to identify our cops by smell of hearing. And no matter how good any costume may be, it cannot compete with actual flesh and blood. What if you could turn into another animal as your disguise? Not just look like a sheep, for example; _become_ a sheep. For real." The duo looked at eachother, awestruck. Turning into another species? It sounded incredible; and insanely outlandish.

"You mean this project allows officers to turn into other animals for stealth purposes?" Nick asked doubtfully. "Have you been reading too many books, Chief?"

"I am not crazy, WILDE!" he yelled indignantly, rage leaking into his voice. He attempted to calm down and compose himself again. "Project T has been developing a machine known as the Transfigurer. It will allow you two to shape shift into other creatures. For Hopps, a fox. For Wilde, a bunny. Since you two are already incredible partners and of different species, they elected to field test the technology on you two. The device looks and feels like a watch, but when you press the side face, a button will pop out. It will only activate to your fingerprint, naturally, but once pressed it will transform you into your other state. Don't worry; it is perfectly safe. But we need you two to be trailblazers for the future generation of cops. We need you two to do this for all of Zootopia."

"Okay," Judy answered after a second. "If it'll help, then of course we'll test it out in the field." Nick gaped.

"We don't know what that'll do to us! Personally, I like being in my own body, and -" Judy covered her partners mouth and smiled awkwardly.

"We'll be going now. By, Chief Bogo!" she grabbed the file and opened it up, finding the address of the laboratory. She dragged Nick out of the room. "Nick!" she hissed. "This is important! We. Will. Be. Going. You heard Bogo! And besides, there wasn't a lot of room for argument." The fox opened his mouth, but she closed it.

"Nick, we're leaving. Now. I'll . . . I'll . . . get you a blueberry muffin and a coffee on the way! Okay?" He scowled. Carrots knew him far too well.

"Fine, Carrots. But it better be a deluxe cup."

They soon arrived at the facility with a large coffee cup and a muffin wrapper clutched tightly between Nick's paws.

"So this is it. You know, I expected it to be . . . I dunno, more intimidating," remarked the fox, rather unimpressed with the plain white building in front of them.

"You shush," Judy scolded. And with that, she hopped out of the car and pulled open the door of the building. Inside was a giant science lab, complete with white-clad scientists running around. "Wow!" she gasped. It was incredible. The space seemed 3 times bigger than the outside suggested it to be, and inventions littered the area. One man ran up to them. He was a a panther.

"Hello, coppers. I am Thenson, the top scientist on the Transfigurer invention." He said this was so much pride, it was impossible not to smile back. "Follow me to the back room and we'll get you outfitted. I trust Chief Bogo had already told you the gist, but in case he hasn't, just know that ll of the extra information you should need will be in that file." He nodded at the scarlet folder, still walking. Finally, after ducking other swinging machines and dodging mini explosions, the trio reached the back door.

"Right this way," the panther declared, holding the door open for the officers. Inside was two watches, one silver faced, one golden. "Judy is silver, you are gold, Nick. We wanted it to be easier to tell them apart, so we tinted the faces different colors. Just put them on and activate the button. It won't work the first time, just scan your fingerprint for future use. Judy grabbed her watch without question, popping open the button and scanning her print. Nick, however, still hung back.

"Come on, Nick," she encouraged, holding out his watch. "Just press your finger to the button, like I did." He glared at her, but relented.

"I'll do it," he said gruffly. "But I still don't like it. I'm just doing it for you, Carrots." He scanned his paw on the tiny button.

"Excellent!" beamed Thenson. "Now Judy, you press the button again. this will be your first time transforming, so it might feel strange at first, but not painful." The bunny nodded, and after taking a deep breath, she pressed the button again.

The change was almost instantaneous. Judy could feel her body stretching and growing, her tail elongating. It felt odd, but not uncomfortable, much like the panther had said. Soon she was changed. Thenson looked proud, but Nick . . . Nick was just gaping at her.

"How do I look?" she asked nervously. Her partner shook his head in disbelief.

"Carrots . . . you are very possibly the most beautiful fox I have ever seen." He looked her up and down again. "Yeah, definitely." Her nose twitched from both flattery and annoyance.

"You're just saying that because I'm your friend. Thenson, where's a mirror?" He turned her towards the bathroom, and Nick followed them. Judy looked in the glass and gasped.

Gone was the cute bunny face she was used to seeing in her mirror at home. Instead, Hopps found herself staring back at a beautiful auburn fox, with streaks of gray and silver layered in between all of the dark russet. She had a dainty muzzle with a small black button nose. Her eyes, thank goodness, were still her familiar violet shade, but they were lined with snowy white fur that also trailed down her stomach and tinged the tips of her ears.

"I'm a fox!" she shrieked, rather excited. Nick laughed, although he still felt rather awkward around his (extremely attractive) best friend. He had always thought she was attractive as a bunny, but this . . . this was jaw dropping. Wow.

"Why yes, yes you are, Carrots," he remarked affectionately, touched by her childlike spur of happiness. "Now my turn." He clicked his button and turned into a bunny, in a rather opposite process. It felt like he was being gently compacted. Now he was a dark gray bunny with speckles of orange around his face and orange ear and tail tips. Nick looked at his incredibly fluffy tail and small paws in the mirror before touching the two together.

"My tail it _so fluffy_. Carrots, why didn't you tell me how fluffy your tail is?" her partner said, infatuated by this new discovery as he poked him own backside. Judy snorted.

"Real mature, Nick. But now I finally get why other animals feel the need to call bunnies cute. You're adorable! So tiny and furry! Seriously, I want to squish you right now. I think I need to change back." So she did, and within seconds, she was her bunny self again. Nick sighed.

"Alright, I'm becoming myself again, too." He pressed his button, and after turning into a fox again, his partner jumped up into his arms.

"I'm happy you're back to normal again."

He smiled fondly at the bunny. "Yeah, I'm happy you're back too, Carrots. Even if you didn't really go anywhere." He pulled her closer. A warm feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach, and Nick was pretty sure he could stay that way forever.

"Well," interrupted Thenson with a cheerful clap of his hands. "This went really well!"

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 **So that was the end of chapter 1. I hope you all liked it! I will try to update as soon as possible, but just know that I have several other stories to work on. Just know that I will not be abandoning this like other authors. Even if it all turns out terrible, I will be taking this through to the end at some point. Keep a lookout for future chapters in the near future!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not gonna bother; you all know what I'm going to say here.

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After leaving the lab and heading back to the ZPD, officers Judy and Wilde had already had a full day. tracking down criminals was physically exhausting, but this? This was a whole new ballpark. Saying that this had been a shocking and mentally draining experience, despite how easy the process itself had been, would have been an understatement. As she stopped at a red light, Hopps couldn't help but stare at her fancy new watch. She paused, looking at the trinket. It seemed so ordinary. So commonplace. So harmless. Yet it held a great power. ' _Kind of like me_ ,' she thought slyly. ' _A year ago, who would have thought that a fuzzy little bunny could have become a serious and famous cop? I ended up saving the city!_ ' The idea that Bellweather could have taken over and destroyed the beautiful and diverse place Judy had grown to love made her head hurt. As she looked around, children were playing in sprinklers, a moose was talking on the phone, a tiger walked out of a store with a pig and they were holding up gardening supplies. It was magical, in its own right. ' _Who would ever want to get rid of this?_ '

"DDDDDDDOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNN-DDDDDDDOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNN-DDDDDDOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNN!" screeched the car horn from behind the duo. An annoyed porcupine stuck her head out of a window.

"Come on, lady! I'm going to be late for work! The light is green, already!" She leaned back and crossed her arms, huffing angrily. Judy blushed a bright red.

"Sorry!" she called out from behind her as she pulled forwards. Nick was trying to hold back a laugh as his partner resumed her position at the wheel. Judy turned and made a face at him. "You know, you can at least try to be sympathetic." He couldn't help it; a string of laughter burst from his mouth after that. He wheezed, struggling to contain himself again. Soon she was giggling too, the two of them cracked up over virtually nothing. Finally, he calmed down, causing Judy to do the same. he resumed his trademark smile.

"What's the fun in that, Carrots?" he asked, smirking now. Then the grin fell off of his face. "So, about what happened today . . . Are we going to talk about that?" Judy looked as though she had just aged 10 years.

"No," she answered wearily. "It was incredible and all, but what's there to discuss? We both know what happened. I think I'm tired. I kind of just want to take a nap, now."

"Tired? You're a bunny! You're hyped up on an overabundance of energy all the time! Here, just drink some of my coffee." he snorted. She looked at him dubiously. "Just take it, Carrots." She smiled, and her stomach did a strange sort of flip when he smiled back at her. Weird.

"Thanks, Nick," she said, rather touched. After a sip or two, she considerably brightened. "What is in this stuff, anyways? It's fantastic!" She slurped down more, her muzzle stained a light brown. He shook his head.

"Caffeine, fluff. You should take it in moderation, considering you've never been exposed to it before." The fox pulled away the cardboard cup. "Now, don't forget to turn!" He reminded her just in time, for right around the bend was the ZPD headquarters. The pair walked back inside, armed with their new knowledge and newer watches. They were greeting in their usual assignments room by Chief Bogo.

"Wilde, Hopps. Welcome back. As you might have guessed, this new technology will create some more work for you two." They exchanged pained glances. The Chief snorted at their skepticism. "No, not paperwork. you two. Since you are learning how to go undercover in the guise of another animal, will need to train to become cops again as your counterparts. Did you think that your skills in combat would translate over to another species? You have different bodies now, cadets. You must learn to function as an elite unit again, regaining complete control over your new forms. Only then can we send you back out into the field." He cleared his throat, waiting for any objections of questions. None were voiced. "Good. Now I would like to introduce your new trainer, Mrs. Spike."

From behind the Chief walked a porcupine; the same porcupine that they had held up in traffic earlier. She looked the cops up and down. Judy blushed and averted her gaze, embarrassed about earlier. Mrs. Spike raised her eyebrows.

"Well," the trainer snorted. "This is going to be fun."

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 **Yeah . . . Sorry this chapter is so incredibly short. I've been super busy, and this was all I had been able to write sofar. I was planning on making this longer and extending into their training exercises and such, but I figured I might as well just post this as a tidbit for when the other stuff comes out. So again, sorry to disappoint, but I wanted to give you all something to read while you wait for the rest of the chapter. It will be coming soon, I promise!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer . . . Must I even write this here anymore?

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"UP IN ARMS, CUPCAKES!" roared Mrs. Spike, her quills stuck out in an angry manor. The dynamic duo shuffled, rather uncomfortable. Judy and Nick were in a special gym that would be used to train them in fighting crime as their altered selves, but so far, all that had been practiced was how to survive a vocal assault.

"Now, push your buttons. I don't have time for this. I need to whip you two lolligaggers into shape, not watch you mope around in the corner!" Nick raised his paw, and Mrs. Spike facepalmed herself.

"Yes, Wilde?" she grumbled.

"Well, why is this necessary? I already know how to run and climb walls and jump over pillars. Judy, too. So why are we learning it again?" he asked, somewhat annoyed now.

"Well, if you're such an expert, turn into a bunny. Run to the other side of the gym in 20 seconds. See if I care." Mrs. Spike sat down on the floor as Nick glanced at her in disbelief. "Go on, now. I'm waiting," she said, exasperatedly. He complied, a smug smile on his face, as he reverted into a bunny. Then, without further ado, he began to run . . . and then fell over onto his feet.

"How?" he asked in disbelief. "I've never tripped like this." He got up again, running another 10 paces before falling. Mrs. Spike began to laugh, clapping and falling over herself. Then, after a minute of hysterical action, she composed herself again.

"Have you ever been in another body before, Agent Wilde?" Grudgingly, he shook his head. "Right, well there you go. A bunny's body is shorter and thinner, with no thick tail to balance you and long feet. You were doomed to fail that test from the start. You are out of proportion, diving into unknown waters, Nicholas. Act your age, don't act ignorantly." She then frowned at him before moving along to Judy, who now was behaving very nervously. Mrs. Spike leaned down to her level. "Do you want to give it a try?" she asked in a low, almost challenging tone. Judy shook her head meekly as Nick stuttered, trying to come up with a rebuttal.

"Good," their trainer announced. "Now we will be going back to the very basics; speed-walking." Both cops groaned.

"That was truly awful," stated Nick 5 hours later. he was absolutely exhausted. "You know, I never imagined speed walking and push-ups would ever become so challenging." Judy nodded in response.

"You said it. And I thought becoming a cop was hard." She walked sluggishly out of headquarters and down the street, in line with her partner. "This is so much worse. I'm already a police officer! I didn't ask for this!" the rabbit gestured to her wrist. She huffed, crossing her arms. "I don't want to have to prove myself again." Nick leaned down.

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone, Judy. Not even to _her_." The fox took her small rabbit paw. Then, to lighten the mood, he shoved her. "You bunnies," he teased. "Always so emotional. Why so worked up, Carrots?" She laughed and shoved him back, and the two continued to push eachother away for the duration of the block, oblivious to all of the stares they were getting or the people they were bumping into. It was just the two of them. Finally, Nick cleared his throat.

"So," he started, slightly nervous. Why, he didn't know. It was just Judy. "Do you want to maybe go to a movie tonight? Since it's been a long day and I think we need some merriment for our collective sanity." She smiled, glad to have such a caring friend.

"Yeah, you know what? I would. Let's go. Right now." And, with that, she dragged him across the street to the theater, quickly paying for the first movie she saw without really acknowledging it. They sat down in the 8th theater room, which was completely vacant.

"What are we even going to watch again?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he responded, just as clueless. "I didn't pay any attention. Probably some terrible chick flick, since nobody else is here." She frowned, but then smiled widely.

"Great! Then we can make fun of it the whole way through!" Judy beamed. Now it was Nick's turn to grin.

"I like the way you think, Carrots." And with that, they settled into their chairs, letting their limbs turn to jelly, and watched the 3 hour showing of the worst movie they had ever seen. They did, in fact, mock the film the whole way through. And as she laughed, Nick thought to himself, ' _It can't possibly get any better than this_.'

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 **So, yeah. Sorry that this is super short and hastily done, it was supposed to be at the end of the other chapter, but I got lazy. But oh well, it's here now. I will be updating sometime within the next week, but now I need to go upstairs and let my mind turn to jello as I watch TV. See you soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Sadly, I still am not in possession of Zootopia. WHY?!

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"Is it just me, or is she getting harsher?" Judy groaned as she and her partner Nick stumbled out of the ZPD. She was dragging her feet. "Even in cadet school, I don't think the program was so hard. And that's saying something! It also doesn't help that I have an extended limb to get used to and that I've put on 50 pounds in an instant. When I agreed to this, I didn't think it would be so . . ." She trailed off, trying to find the right word. As always, Nick was there to deliver.

"Difficult?" he asked sympathetically. She lit up, some of her enthusiasm back.

"Yeah, difficult! That's it," the bunny said, much more relaxed now. Nick remained silent, lost in his mindspace. Curiously, she studied him. He looked normal; broad shoulders held back, rumpled police uniform, paws stuffed in pockets. It was strange. She had never found him _bad looking_ , just not interesting in a romantic sort of way. He was always just her best friend. Although now, having temporarily been a fox, she could truly appreciate his attractiveness. For a fox, he was very handsome. "Nick? You okay?" she asked tentatively. He fumbled backwards a little, surprised out of autopilot mode.

"Huh? Oh yes, training. To be honest, I was thinking about how it was different than I expected." She twitched her ears in annoyance; he really was being vague.

"Different how?" Judy pushed. He scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, I thought that this would be harder," he admitted. "And although the fact that we're training for hours on end, relentlessly, no breaks, is intense, I had assumed at the beginning that getting used to my bunny form would be tough. Actually, once I pushed past the initial awkwardness of large feet and began to perambulate again, I had no problems functioning like normal." He rounded the block, heading towards his apartment in a casual, 'no big deal' sort of way. Judy's mouth hung open for a second before she closed it and ran back up to him.

"Well, why does everything come so easy to you?" she snorted, rather angry now. "It's been a month since we met Mrs. Spike and I've worked just as hard. Why didn't you say that you thought your adjustment was fine?" Suddenly she began to pound her foot repeatedly into the sidewalk like she did only when she was completely and utterly frustrated. At this, he sighed and turned around.

"I didn't realize you were having so much trouble, Carrots, okay? If there was something I could do, I would, but . . ." the fox trailed off, suddenly having an epiphany. "Hey, that's not such a bad idea!" He laughed, practically cackling in the middle of the block and starting to cause people to turn over to them. He grabbed Judy by the shoulders and held her up to eye level. "What if I taught you fox lessons?" She stared at him dubiously, not so much angry anymore as confused and doubtful.

"Fox lessons?" she questioned. "What are you talking about?" He answered immediately, practically bursting with excitement.

"How about you turn into a fox and I'll show you how to move, and eat, and do stuff? I'm a fox, your best friend and partner, in fact, and you'll already be a fox; this could work!" he glanced back at her expectantly. She backed up, waving her hands back and forth in a 'nope nope nope' sort of way.

"Nick, I don't know if I feel . . ." she stopped when he began to give her the puppy dog eyes. The bunny sighed. "Fine," she grumbled. "But if the first one doesn't work out, there is no second." Officer Wilde jumped into the air, fist pumping the sky.

"Let's start right now!" he said, already pulling her down the street. "My place is only around the corner." Her violet eyes widened.

"Right now, right now?" she asked, thinking she misheard him.

"Yup." And with that, he sprinted into the apartment building and up 2 flights of stairs, quickly unlocking the door and shoving her inside before she could object.

"So," he started, almost breathless. "Let's begin. Become a fox." She did so, causing his mouth to run dry. He swallowed hard. "Right," the male fox coughed out. Shaking his head, he circled her, walking around her slowly. Judy really was gorgeous, especially as a fox, which made her all the more appealing. His Carrots was . . . was . . .

"What are you doing?" she questioned, still not entirely on board with the lessons as it was.

"Nothing!" he answered a shade too soon. But what was he supposed to respond with? What do you say after you're caught checking out your friend? "I . . . I mean, I was just checking out what things you need to improve posture wise." It wasn't the best save, but she didn't pry anymore. Instead, she leaned up, trying to stand straighter. He smiled in response. Even in another form, she was still the same overachieving, goody two-shoes Judy.

"No," he said softly, leaning into her. He put his paws around her, resting them on her hips. "You need to pull back, like this." He gently tugged her torso back, and her lower back cracked, and suddenly standing was so much more effortless. Judy shrieked with excitement and pulled him towards the bathroom so she could view her progress. Sure enough, a russet fox with silver streaks was staring back at her, standing straight and swishing her tail back and forth. Nick rested his hands, on pure instinct and without thinking, on her hips again. The female fox swiveled around to face her partner, still encased in his arms.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" she squealed. "This feels _so_ much better! I thought foxes were just used to hunching over all the time." he laughed, shaking his head.

"Nope, we don't. I thought you just liked slouching." Then he bit his lip, becoming the slightest bit nervous. "Do you want to learn any more right now?" Officer Hopps nodded fast.

"Of course! Like how to jump without stepping on your tail. And how to swing your arms when punching. Oh, and -" Nick cut her off with his hand.

"I get the picture, Carrots." She grinned in response and then looked down at their paws. He couldn't remember how exactly his fingers moved from her waist to intertwining with her hand, but it sure was embarrassing. "Oh, um . . . " he trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"It's fine, Nick," she said with a wave of her paw. Then she tugged him back towards the living room again. "Besides, you just promised to teach me more positions, right? Get cracking, Wilde. I can't be here all night, can I?" For a moment he almost thought she was serious and asked her if she was fine with staying before realizing that she was holding back a small, teasing smile. He shoved her.

"You're on, Carrots," Nick smirked before wrapping his arms tight around her. He whispered in her ear, "Another thing you should know about foxes; we're very ticklish." As her partner began to wiggle his paws, she knew she was in trouble; strangely enough, the cop didn't mind this lesson on bit. Even if it did make her feel weird and fuzzy inside.

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 **So this is Chapter 4. Still not as long as the 1st, but definitely lengthier than the last two. I hope everyone has been enjoying this so far; I know it's been a little slow going, but it will pick up soon, I promise. Also, I haven't seen a review since I posted the second chapter! Please give me feedback. I love hearing from everyone. Tell me how I'm doing (and if I'm terrible, don't hesitate to say something, but also don't go nuts with the hate mail). Anyways, expect to see the next chapter out sometime next week.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer . . . should I bother?

I am so mad. I had been working on this chapter for an hour and it all got deleted when my computer glitched. Forgive me for any mistakes because I am too angry to care.

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"You know, Judy, if you keep pacing like that, you'll make holes in my floor," uttered Nick from the couch as his partner, currently in fox form, continued moving back and forth in front of him. He, however, still refused to look up from his phone, since he was weeding through his fanmail. The fox had no idea how exactly the masses got their private email addresses, but now his email was constantly being swarmed by 'Thank you', 'We love you', and 'In case you were looking, I happen to be single' messages. Seriously, Nick didn't know whether to be flattered or terrified by the many notes he read that now cluttered his inbox.

"Nick, put down the phone and help me practice," she groaned. "That test is tomorrow, you know. Our first test. Ever." Nick barely even nodded his head, still preoccupied.

"Look, I know you'll do fine. You've already perfected posture, running, jumping, and all the basic exercises, like sit ups and stuff. Even your penmanship is better than mine. You're a natural, okay?" Nick said, briefly looking up. Then it was back to the screen. However, although he seemed calm, like Judy, the fox was surprised they were getting a quiz so early into their training. But Mrs. Spike, after a particularly good practice, had just looked at the two and said, "You have a test in 3 days. Be prepared to amaze. You two better impress me." Then the porcupine had walked out, effectively ending the session of the day. Needless to say, it had been a shocker to both of them.

"You're my friend. You _have_ to say that," the female fox scowled, bored and not making any progress. "We haven't really done anything tonight. Do something interesting!" She laid down on the floor in exasperation, beginning a tangent. Nick took this moment to think about how crazy this all was.

It was nuts. Completely, entirely, nuts. How was it that he and Judy had gone from an adorable gray rabbit and a former conman fox to two police officers working on a top secret mission for the ZPD's sciences? Only 2 months ago were they introduced to this technology. Now they were adapting to entirely new bodies. What was the next step for their partnership? Their crime fighting antics were already being put on long breaks as it was. In the last month, all they had done was handle a small scuffle at an embroidery warehouse when the police department was short staffed. Heck, they had only seen Chief Bogo once since the project began, and that was 3 weeks ago, on the way out of the building. Things were definitely changing fast.

And what would happen to their duo if they got _married_? There was still tons of time to meet people, but . . .

"Nick," Judy prodded. "Nick." He still ignored her, lost in his own mindspace. Annoyed, the silver streaked russet fox walked up to Nick and shouted in his ear.

"NICK!" she screamed. He jumped up quickly, startled out of his mind. Dropping his phone and shoving her by accident, Nick fell on top of his partner, his body shoved flat against hers. Judy was sandwiched between her friend and the cold hardwood, but she didn't feel the chill. Instead, she felt this tug at the pit of her stomach, warm and soft. She stared at him, wide eyed and surprised, and the fox in question couldn't do anything but stare back, examining her eyes. It could be blamed on the shock, of course, but there was something hypnotizing about the way their gazes linked. Finally, Judy pulled her violet pair away, and Nick lowered his.

"Are you going to get off of me anytime soon?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood, but her voice was shakier than it usually was.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Nick murmured, slowly getting up off of her and offering a hand. Wordlessly, Judy took his outstretched paw, and then hefted herself up. With the press of a button, she was a bunny again, and she grabbed her bag.

"You know what?" the gray rabbit said, her cheeks slightly pink. "I think I'm going to cut this daily fox lesson short. Thanks for having me, Nick, but I think I want to go home now." And, with that, she headed towards the front of his apartment. Overcome with the sudden desire to make her stay, Nick ran over and caught her arm.

"You can't go yet!" he blurted out. She smiled.

"Why so?" she questioned.

"Because not yet." He internally smacked himself after that great response.

"Why not? Can't I leave whenever I want?" she rebutted with a grin, knowing that they were headed back towards friendly banter and teasing. Finally. Something she was familiar with.

"Well, yes - I mean, no, not today, because . . . because . . ." he struggled. Nick knew he couldn't get away with the excuse 'Because I really, really don't want you to leave'.

"Who's the dumb bunny now, Slick? At least I could make up a good excuse." Nick couldn't help but glare at his friend. She was totally smirking at him now.

"Because . . . I was making dinner. Yeah. I was going to make dinner and I thought, since you were here, you could eat with me." It was a terrible save, and they both knew it. Judy cocked an eyebrow.

"Cook? You actually know how to cook? And you would make something for me, too?" she asked suspiciously. The fox was fighting the urge to grimace. He was awful at lying to Judy; always had been, always would be. She had that effect on him.

"Of course," he said mockingly, deciding to just roll with it. "I happen to be great at it."

"If you say so, Nick," Judy snorted. "So . . . what are you making then, chef?" Nick scolded himself. He hadn't thought that far yet.

"Um, you're the guest, you pick."

"Weren't you the one who said you already had something planned to make?" Judy pressed. Nick winced. "Did you have any plans at all?" He shrugged sheepishly, and Judy sighed in a resigned sort of tone as they moved into his kitchen. "What am I going to do with you? You are hopeless, sir. I swear, if you didn't have me, you would have died already."

Nick couldn't exactly argue. His Carrots had a point; she had saved his life in the field way too many times than he would like to admit. And then, of course, there was the domestic things, like this, that he still had trouble handling.

"I think," Judy began after rummaging through all of Nick's supplies, "that we should make spaghetti."

"Works for me," shrugged the fox. His partner took this as her que. She pulled out noodles, 2 cans of tomato paste, a large pot, assorted vegetables, and some seasonings, laying them out on the counter. Then the bunny filled the pot with tap water and put it over the stove, watching as it slowly heated up and started to boil. In went the noodles.

Attempting to be helpful, Nick opened a can of tomato paste and held it out, prepared to dump it into the noodles, when Judy caught his hand.

"Nick!" she scolded. "Why are you trying to empty a can of tomato paste into the noodles before we've strained them? That's not how you make spaghetti! Have you even done this before?" He scowled right back at her.

"Okay, control freak, I was just trying to help! Maybe I made pasta differently," he complained, throwing his arms wide in annoyance. When he did, the tomato paste flew out of the can and onto Judy's head, landing in the middle of her ears with a splat. She stood frozen still in disbelief. Instantly he felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Carrots, I didn't mean to -" he was cut off by a pepper hitting him square in the chest. The fox blinked, almost feeling betrayed. "Did you just throw a -" he stopped. A carrot sacked him in the arm, and he shook his head, beginning to grin maniacally. "Oh, it's on," he said with a dark undertone, picking up another veggie and palming it as she laughed across the kitchen.

And so it went, Nick's apartment falling into utter chaos as produce was smashed into the countertops and paste was flung from opposite sides of the island. Eventually the spaghetti did get finished, the remains of which were eaten by a disheveled fox and bunny pair. After their scraps of pasta, the two walked down the block to pick up takeout, ignoring the strange looks they got as they carried bags with brand new stains all over their clothes. To them, it honestly didn't matter.

Judy went home that night with messy fur and a smile on her face. As he shut the door, Nick smiled fondly, passing the kitchen with cheer on the way to his shower. Even though she had left, it was like his partner was still there in spirit . . . especially in his wreck of a kitchen.

He was way, way too attached to her.

* * *

 **So, yeah. Chapter 5. Sorry this took so long (again, my laptop kept on deleting my work). If I hadn't had complications, this wouldn't have been such a long wait. But here it is; ta-da! Be on the lookout for another one soon.**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Mehhhhhh

So anyways, sorry I haven't updated sooner. I've been SO BUSY! As it is I am blowing off math homework to write this. You're welcome.

* * *

"GO!"

As soon as the word was out, Nick ran like a wild man (or should I say 'Wilde' man; ha ha, I'm _hilarious_ when I try), switching from runner's lunge to a sprint. First came the dash; 100 yards across the training area he crossed with ease, fluffy tail bouncing uncontrollably up and down as he moved. Then came the hurdles.

"Of course," he muttered. His weakest skill. With several grunts of annoyance he clambered over the first, and then the second, and then the third, counting them softly to himself as he went on. "Eight . . . ten, eleven . . . . now thirteen . . ." the red and gray bunny whispered after hefting across the hurdles. Even though he was a rabbit he couldn't jump as far as Judy. He blamed this fact on his gender. His partner snorted and told him that gender had nothing to do with it, he just wasn't practicing hard enough. Biting his cheek so he wouldn't grin at the memory, Nick thought fondly on the little bunny.

That was his Carrots. She was adorable, even when she was chastising him. Briefly, the former fox allowed himself to autopilot on the hurdles, doing them without really thinking about it. Judy . . .

"You're almost done, Nick!" she shouted from the sidelines. "Keep going, partner!" Nick shook his muzzle and continued, picking up speed after the words of encouragement from his companion.

"Thirty!" he whooped. Judy beamed from behind him. Now onto the stepping stones.

In front of Nick was a group of pillars that the duo had dubbed 'the stepping stones' because you were supposed to leap from place to place, like little kids walking across stepping stones. He smirked. This was a task he was readily prepared for.

A leap, then a skip, following two jumps and a narrow step, and Nick was across. He pumped his fist in the air before running forwards again. He found himself swinging across a set of monkey bars, climbing up a wall, ducking and weaving through a portion set up like a tripwire field, and sprinting another 200 yards before reaching the finish line.

"How," he panted, "Did . . . how did I do . . . Spike?" He laid down on the ground, and Mrs. Spike upturned her nose slightly. After checking her clipboard and marking things down several more times, she sniffed.

"4 minutes and 37 seconds; not bad, Wilde. I suppose you passed." The trainer moved back to her notes, jolting down some final figures and resetting her stopwatch. "Hopps, you're up." With a nod, Judy transformed into a silver and russet fox and began towards the starting line.

"Okay, Judy; on your mark . . . get set . . . GO!" the porcupine yelled at her charge. The vixen wasted no time tearing through the course with the ease and grace of a natural fox. Soon the finish came up and she passed it quickly. Spike checked her stopwatch once, and then again afterwards.

"So? What did I get?" asked the fox eagerly. The trainer stared at the cop with a newfound respect. It was almost akin to pride.

"2 minutes and 55 seconds, Hopps. You were almost flawless. Congratulations." Judy smiled widely. Then something occurred to her.

"Wait, you complimented me," she pondered. "You've never told me I was good before . . . well, before now." The porcupine scowled, her professionalism back.

"Don't get used to it," she warned. "I just give credit where credit is due, and before now, you guys weren't too inspiring. Again, don't read into anything so much." She cleared her throat for a spell before continuing. "Why don't you two change back? You both passed and all." The duo reverted back to their original forms, still sweaty and tired but feeling more normal.

"So when's the next test?" asked Judy. "I would like a little more warning, next time." The violet eyed rabbit got a snort in response.

"Your next 'test' isn't really a test; it's an assignment. You two did well enough to move on to practice work," Mrs. Spike replied. Nick's brow furrowed.

"Wait, so does this mean more gym time?" he moaned. "Because I am kinda sick of working here for 8 hours straight."

"No," she rolled her eyes. "It's a mock field task." The two partners exchanged a mutual look of confusion.

"What type of field task?" Judy pressed. She was way too curious now.

"You two get to go undercover as your opposites in order to practice apprehending a fake criminal," Spike said. She clasped her paws together mockingly. "Won't that be fun?"

* * *

 **So sorry this took me forever to update. I apologize. This is only the first part of this chapter, but I sorta gave up and decided to split in in two for convenience. Also, the other part got deleted by accident when my computer reloaded, so I'm not about to rewrite it right now. Anyways, I hope you all liked this part. Be on the lookout for another chapter soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I'm sure you've heard it all before. I own nothing but the plot and OCs, blah blah blah.

* * *

Chief Bogo stared at his charges. Nick was shifting awkwardly in his chair, tail flicking this way and that. He was currently trying to remove something from his jaws with a toothpick. Judy was actually trying to make an effort to behave, the chipper bunny sitting up and paying attention. However, since Nick's tail was still flitting around and brushing past her nose, she was more focused on trying not to sneeze than what Bogo was doing at the front.

The Chief sighed. How exactly did he enter this profession again?

"Wilde, Hopps," he groaned, hoof over his head. "How many times have I told you to sit still and _pay attention_? I'm talking to you, Wilde." The male fox froze, jolted out of whatever he was thinking. "Yes, you're on the squad. Try to act your age. I wasn't aware that you were 5. And you - " Judy pointed to herself, confused. "Yes, you, bunny. Get a tissue or something. I know you need to sniffle, rabbit. Get Wilde under control, will you?"

"Yes, sir," she squeaked, shoving Nick's appendage out of her face yet again as she got up. In a few seconds she was back in her chair, blowing her twitching nose.

"Now that there are no distractions left - " he took a moment to glare at the fox, who put a hand over his heart to feign offense - "we can continue. I'm sure Mrs. Spike has told you that you have a new assignment?"

"Kinda," Judy admitted. "But she was rather vague . . . Nothing about the task was actually given away, honestly." Bogo groaned.

"Okay, I guess I'd better tell you, then. I'd hoped she'd handle the details, but I guess I have to say everything now. Try to keep up," he said, flicking Nick's nose.

"Hey! I was listening!" complained the red fox, rubbing his nose. The Chief, in much better spirits, continued on.

"Project T will help you become different animals for crime fighting purposes. Now we must put your skills to the test in a series of 3 field assignments. In each one, you will go undercover to apprehend 'criminals', or actors we have hired for training purposes." Judy raised her paw. "Yes, Hopps?"

"I was just wondering about something," she started. "I thought that we were only having one task. Like a final, or something."

"No. What, did you just assume I would make my top cops sit down in a workroom and do some sort of written test?" he laughed. "I don't have time to watch you guys do a physical! I'm Chief of Police! ZPD! I haven't even been watching you train!" He wiped tears out of his eyes. "No, cops, I don't have time to judge that sort of thing. I have about 5 cases going on at the same time that I need to oversee. Your first scenario will be at a vegetarian joint down town where you two will attempt to apprehend a drug dealer about to settle a deal. Again, the 'drug dealer' and customer will be police mandated actors, but good ones with real training skills. They have been instructed not to break character, and since this is for training after all, you two will be in a privately booked room with a bunch of fillers."

"Fillers?" the duo asked.

"You know, people paid or just asked to fill the room for performance purposes. They're there so you have a challenge. If I just stuck you and the two actors inside, you would know immediately who the suspects were. What would the point of that be?" Bogo snorted. "Are we clear on everything?"

"Who will we be going as?" questioned Judy. "I mean, since it's a strictly vegetarian joint, I'm guessing we'd both be bunnies, but do we have aliases, or . . ."

"Yes, your identities, as I was about to point out, are concealed in these envelopes." Two sealed documents were produced from behind the hulking animal. They officers went up to their commander and selected their information. "I assume everything is settled, then?" grumbled the Chief. The two nodded.

"Just one more thing, though . . ." Nick started, riffling through his envelope and pulling out something golden. "What's this for?"

"Seriously?" sighed their superior. Nick nodded.

"Yes, I have no idea why I have this."

"I can't believe I have to explain this," groaned Bogo. "Look inside Judy's things." Judy rapidly shook her head, ripping apart the seal and pulling out another golden object to match.

"For this assignment, you and Judy are going undercover as a pair, Wilde," he explained. The red fox let the information sink in, understanding finally gracing his features. The Chief looked at him, exasperated.

"Yes, fox," he said. "You two are going to pretend that you're married."

Judy pretty much fainted dead away.

* * *

 **So . . . that's the second half of the chapter. Anyways, I'm so sorry for delaying this, but with the holiday and vacation and school . . . yeah. I can only find so much time to write! Also, you must keep in mind that this isn't the only story I'm working on, so the ones that haven't been updated since last month of whenever take priority. But again, I apologize and will try to update sooner!**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: You get the gist. Here's chapter 8!

* * *

"Are you done yet, Fluff?" called Nick from behind the door. In one paw he held his phone, and in the other was their paperwork. The pair was now Mr. and Mrs. Mill, two locals from Zootopia. They were a young couple at only 22, but the duo had been married for 3 years. In the papers, it said that they lived in an apartment close to the heart of the city (what a coincidence, in Nick's same building, too) with three little bunnies. He was a lawyer, she a gardener. 'Nathan' met 'Clara' at a florist's shop a couple blocks away when he ducked inside on a rainy day. They had been 18 and felt a connection. As it turned out, they had, because he left with a potted plant. She left with his number. A match made in heaven.

Nick grimaced. This was all so cheesy. Who had written this? He had no idea, but he wanted to burn the papers.

Well, actually, it wasn't the story that made him upset, it was the fact that they hadn't had any input. For some reason, he thought he would have been able to make up some of the fine details with Judy, like how they met. Buying a potted plant? He thought 'Nathan Mills' would have been smoother than that. And anyways, there was something undeniably appealing about creating a fake life with Judy (sorry, 'Clara'). But either way, he could almost feel the blush building on his cheeks as he thought about his partner. His wife . . . for the night, at least.

Why was it that a small part of him wished their lie was true?

"Almost . . ." Judy huffed, sounding as though he was struggling. Nick shifted closer to the door, wrinkling his uncharacteristic black suit and orange tie as he did so.

"Are you all right - "

"Got it!" she interjected cheerfully. Nick shot up, excited that the wait was finally over. Then came a groan from inside the closet. "Wait . . . never mind, I just need to . . ." He sighed. Judy was taking forever and a day, it seemed. It was just a formal dinner. With him. Alone. In a fancy restaurant. Kind of like a . . .

"Date," he muttered softly. He clamped a paw over his mouth. Did he really just say that?

"Huh?" called a certain somebunny's voice faintly. "I don't know what you said, but I give up. I need help."

"What sort of help?" asked the fox cautiously. When a girl says 'I need help' from inside a closet, things tend to get awkward. Especially after you were just thinking about how dating that person would feel like. Luckily, he was saved from an inevitable awkward response by Judy herself. She reached out, grabbed his tie, and pulled him inside.

"Zip me up," she ordered, with red beginning to stain her muzzle. When her partner just stared at her, dumbfounded, the bunny huffed. "Just do it, please?"

With a slow nod as he came out of his stupor, Nick dragged the zipper upwards, bringing the garment to a close, other hand on her hip. He then wheeled her around, almost fainting.

Judy was no longer Judy the partner. Judy was Judy the _girl_. She was wearing a sparkling blue gown that dipped down in the back and reached down to her knees, spreading out slightly. On her feet were black sandals that strapped up her calves, and a black and blue clip shown on her head. She looked incredible, and not at all like the innocent and humble bunny he had come to know and love.

"You look . . ." he trailed off, swallowing thickly. "You look amazing, Hopps." She grinned at him, and he tried to smile back without looking overwhelmed. Like this, she seemed _way_ out of his league.

"Thanks, Nick," she replied, touched. The gray bunny looked him up and down. "Not bad yourself, Slick. It turns out that there's a gentleman hidden beneath your loud Hawaiian shirts, after all." The male fox laughed, jostled but happy they were back in more familiar territory. Friendly teasing was something he could handle.

"Same, Carrots. I never would have pegged you as the glamorous type." With a wack on the arm, he knew that they would be just fine that night. "One more thing, though," he stated. His partner got quiet and prepared to listen, knowing it was time to get more serious. "Clara Mills," he began, leaning down on one knee. "Will you do me the honor of being my fake spouse for the remainder of this endeavor?" She nearly gagged on her laughter but managed to keep it together.

With fake shock, Judy replied, "Oh, I can't believe this is happening!" Tears were threatening to spill as she fanned her face. "It's all starting so fast, but I knew it was you from the moment you bought your first fern!" He nearly cracked up himself, remembering the stupid detail about the plant and his number. It wasn't ever going to die now. "Of course, Nathan! I would be honored!" She slipped on the ring and, caught up in the moment, kissed her partner's cheek. Instantly he froze. It wasn't a real kiss, on the lips, but man . . . it felt good. Really good. And as warmth practically pooled in his chest, the fox found himself wanting more. The spell was broken by Judy herself.

"Nick? Are you okay?" she asked through pursed lips, beginning to get worried. He shook his head. He couldn't _like_ like Judy. She was his best friend. He had a task to perform right now.

"Yeah," he found himself saying. "Yeah, I'm alright."

* * *

When they arrived at the desk of the restaurant, Nick almost expected them to be called out. To say that they weren't really married. To challenge their story about anniversary reservations. To see through their very real skin and view him as the fox he was. But nothing happened other than getting seating by an overly dapper waiter. Apparently all those facts they had spent hours memorizing for this test were pretty much useless.

One small part of him was pleased. It meant all of those cliche romance novel knockoffs that were complied into a backstory would never be spoken aloud. Thank goodness. He was saved.

"Nobody around here looks like a drug dealer," whispered the bunny as they sat down. As she smoothed her cloth napkin over her dress, 'Nathan' grinned wryly.

"That's because they're not drug dealers; they're actors. And one of them has a fake bag of inhalants on their person, Clara." At this, she snorted.

"So, _honey_ , how was your day in the office?"

"Fantastic, I got lots of new cases today."

"Oh really?"

"Yup." He looked smugly at her. Even undercover, he loved their faux arguing sessions.

"Is there anything you would like to eat?" asked their waiter. He was a zebra, and he had yet to pull out a notepad.

"Aren't you supposed to ask us what we want to drink first, sir?" questioned Nick, confused. "And you have nothing to write with."

"Yes, well," the man said, sounding slightly upset and embarrassed. "I'm only working here for tonight. But what do you want?"

The two looked at eachother for a second before Nick quickly spoke for Judy. "She wants the tossed garden salad and I would like the pasta of the day with mixed vegetables." The waiter nodded before walking off and wandering to another table.

"Strange," mused Judy. Nick cocked his head and she explained herself. "It's just that he spends a lot of time talking to that giraffe that's sitting alone." He nodded.

"Strange."

By the time their waiter came back with their food, he had stopped to give them water cups and talk to the animal in the corner about 7 times. It was clear that they knew eachother, and besides that, the zebra had been acting weird the whole time. But when he busted the food stand again and was about to walk off, exposing the top of a zip-and-seal bag scrunched in his pants, they were pretty sure they knew who the fake drug dealer and buyer were.

"So, you think it's him, too, right?" asked Nick, leaning over to her.

"Of course," she hissed back softly. "It's so obvious, isn't it?" As the waiter came back around with napkins, the two readied themselves.

"Here's your . . ." They pounced. Judy was on his back, blinding the man and securing his hands with cuffs. But before Nick could secure him to anything he slipped out with ease, running out to the door. The man muttered something about stupid employees after realizing the entrance to the reserved room was locked.

"You can't leave," snarled Nick. This guy had thrown Judy to the floor. _Nobody_ threw Judy, even if they were paid to.

He laughed. "I'm a hired escape artist, pal. My life's work is getting out of jams. I can literally jump up and grab an expose beam before climbing out the skylight. I can dive under the table, throw the cloth up into the air as a distraction, and sprint the other way until I reach the back door. I can grab your own tie and secure you with it. I'm practically untouchable!" Nick glanced behind him, wondering if Judy was still lying on the floor. Then he laughed straight at the zebra. "What's so funny?"

"Do you know the number one way to catch a criminal?" quizzed the rabbit. When he was met with no response, he suddenly dashed up to the zebra's left. "You get them to start monologing." In order to avoid the sloppy catch, the zebra dodged right, then grabbing Nick roughly before scoffing.

"Did you really think I'd fall for that?" snorted the actor. Nick only grinned.

"Nope, but then again, I was only the distraction." The zebra turned around just in time to see the bunny cop punch him in the face (hard enough to stun and disorient but not enough to knock him out; he was only hired as practice, after all) and then tie a tablecloth over his face, two rough holes in it for breathing purposes. After this, she grabbed another tablecloth and bound him several times over to a decorative pillar. Behind them, the giraffe shrugged and got up to talk to the cops, who were now both tousled and dirty from rolling on the floor.

"Good job," he said, impressed. "He's pretty good at what he does. Here's the fake money, by the way. You don't have to try to capture me; I'm just here to look suspicious and hold stuff." He handed the officers a stack of printed cash and another set of real payment. "That stuff is for him; we promised him $450 upon completion of his task or capture, whichever came first." With that, the animal left, humming contently.

"So . . . you want to eat, Mrs. Mills?" asked Nick, all smiles now that their fake bandit was caught. It was easier than he thought it would be.

"Of course, Mr. Mills," she teased, shoving him lightly. "I've been waiting for that $50 meal for _forever_ , so it better be worth the wait." Nick didn't know if it would be or not, but sitting there with the best partner in the world; now _that_ was worth it.

* * *

 **So this was chapter 8, everybody. I hope it didn't disappoint you guys! It was done in a rush, just one foul swoop on my computer, so I apologize if it didn't turn out the way you might have imagined it going. I didn't think it would happen this way, but it all sorta came out like this. See you all in chapter 9!**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, yada yada. Let's get this show on the road!

* * *

"So we have the day off?" Judy asked Nick skeptically. "Seems too good to be true, Slick." He only snorted in response.

"Carrots, why are you questioning a good thing?" he sighed. She only narrowed her eyes at him. The red fox raised a hand to his heart in mock offense. "And here I thought the two of us were getting along so well!" His partner rolled her eyes and waved her hand, as if to say _continue before I decide to leave_. "Alright. Sheesh, Judy. All I'm saying is that the ZPD kinda owes us a day to relax. We've been training nonstop for months and just had a major first assignment, not to mention the fact that we got home around 11 and have to wake up at 4:30 am every day. More like 4 am, really, if we want to get coffee."

"If _you_ want to get coffee," clarified Judy. Nick groaned.

"Yes, we're going to have to get you addicted at some point. But anyways, we _needed_ this for our sanities." Now she was reconsidering. She cocked her head to the side curiously.

"And you didn't just call the office and get them to send this email so you could play a prank on me?"

"When have I played a prank on you, Carrots? And I would have needed to call before you got up. I'm too lazy for that, anyways, Judy." She nodded slowly, believing her partner now.

"Well . . . alright," she responded, giving in. "I guess it's legit. But what are we going to do all day?" Nick only grinned.

"I have a few ideas . . ."

* * *

"Seriously?" huffed Judy. "Matching pajamas and movies? This was your idea?" The duo was currently standing in the middle of Nick's apartment, and both were wearing blue sets of pjs with a fake police belt and printed badge. It was borderline embarrassing to wear them around eachother, but Nick wasn't about to miss the opportunity to get a picture with Judy in them. He had thought they would be funny. Reality-wise they were kinda awful, but whatever, he figured. He was only going to be around his best friend, anyways, so who cared? You know, other than his best friend, who seemed disturbed by the whole ordeal.

"I can't fathom why you hate it so much, Carrots," Nick said, trying to suppress a grin but not being able to hold it back for very long. "Now you can chase criminals in your sleep."

"It's demeaning!" the gray bunny protested. Her partner merely laughed.

"Oh, breaking out the 'big vocabulary', I see. How many more do you have left?" he teased. Judy's face lit up with red and anger.

"Why you - I could just . . . Agghh!" she fumed. The bunny sat down, arms crossed. Nick sat down with her and hugged the rabbit, whose anger faded fast. "I think I'm a little better now."

"Good," he replied. "Now let's watch something."

"We haven't even picked a movie!"

"Well, what do you want to see?" She got up and began scouring Nick's DVD collection. She nearly snorted when she saw some of the options.

"Better Off Furry? When Hippo Met Salamander: A Claw-sic Love Story?" Judy began to laugh without restraint now. "I didn't peg you as a romantic!" Tears practically streamed out her eyes. "Seriously, this is terrible."

"Hey! I'll have you know that my mom left those in here?"

"How often does you mom come to visit her full-grown son, Nick?" He looked indignant and embarrassed now.

"Not a lot, but she came to see the new apartment, after all, and she left me a bunch of rom-coms, like a housewarming gift," he defended.

"Fine, whatever, Slick. But if I see any evidence of you buying them, don't think I'll hesitate to hold it over your head." The fox nodded quickly, assuming it was better to just agree with his partner rather than to risk her wrath. "Anyways, I want to watch them. If only to see you uncomfortable." Suddenly the fox felt overwhelmed and hot. He tugged at the collar of his blue pajama shirt.

"Watch _them_?" he almost chocked out. "With you? Alone? At my house? In _matching pjs_?" There was something definitely alluring about the prospect of hogging Judy all day, but watching romantic movies while cuddling on a couch seemed a little to intimate for 'friends'. Judy, however, didn't see a problem with this.

"Why not?" she shrugged, already popping the first one in the player. "We can go through all of your romantic movies, one by one. It'll be like a corny marathon." When Nick didn't answer, the bunny took this as encouragement. "Ok! We're all set up, Nick." He crawled under a blanket, and she followed, nuzzling right up next to his arm.

"You're warm," she hummed, content. He tried to respond, but felt like he had swallowed marbles. Why was there this tug in his chest right now? He felt . . . good. Way too good.

Instead of thinking about it, he tried to focus on the terrible show they were about to watch, trying not to grimace.

* * *

"Judy," he whispered, trying not to be too loud. Then he shook her lightly again. "Judy! Wake up, sleepy head. You have to go home." She only twitched her nose, still sleeping deeply.

Judy had fallen asleep during the 7th movie, and sadly enough, Nick had been too distracted by the awful plot to notice until the credits. But now she had been sleeping too long and was incredibly hard to reawaken.

"You need to get up, Fluff." There was still no answer from the little bunny, who was slumped up against her partner. With a sigh, the fox gently picked up the rabbit and began to walk slowly towards his bedroom. He set her down inside the sheets, which had recently been washed, so he didn't figure she would mind.

"Sleep up, Carrots." As he turned to leave, he saw her shivering on the mattress, clearly cold despite the sheets. It was understandable. The apartment got drafty at night.

"You're so high maintenance, Judy," he grumbled, not really upset. "Even unconscious." And so, with fake anger, Nick climbed onto the bed with Judy, wiggling into the sheets and essentially spooning her. Although it would be hard to explain the next day, silently the fox considered it a win. "Goodnight, Carrots," he murmured before cuddling closer and closing his eyes. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

 **So, yeah. This is chapter number 9. Anyways, I hope everyone is having a good day and that this brought you some sort of distraction. I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but after all, it is the holidays. On that note, please don't expect another chapter until after the holidays; I have other priorities, most of which take place in the physical world, but I am also attempting to finish a oneshot for MLP. It probably won't take me longer than today, but still. Don't be expecting anything until New Years is done (unless I'm bored; then something might get posted).**

 **Be sure to check out some of my other stories while you're at it. I write for a bunch of different fandoms, so chances are there is something you'll find interesting in there. Also, if you want a story written for a different fandom, just request it. I might have been in it at one point and will type something up for you eventually.**

 **That was a super long author's note. I'm sorry for making you suffer through it. Bye for now, everybody!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Why am I still writing these up? You guys know what I'm going to say.**

* * *

Judy felt distinctly _warm_ when she woke up, like she was being super-heated from the inside out. It was a pleasant feeling, if not strange. Usually she was freezing in the morning, since her . . . older (*cough* terrible *cough*) apartment didn't have very good insulation. Half of her was seriously tempted to just flip over and go back to bed, but she was a morning person, and the bunny reluctantly got to her feet. However, she was in for quite the shock when she turned around.

"AHHHHHHHH!" she screeched loudly, falling out of the covers and off the side of Nick's bed. In an instant, the fox was up, if not tired.

"Wha? What happened? Are you okay?" he gasped, clearly still out of it. When the cop saw his partner sitting on the floor in the corner of the room, he sighed and helped her up. "You're okay, Carrots. I'm here." The gray rabbit stared at him uneasily.

" . . . you do realize that we were sharing a bed last night, right?" she questioned. As he nodded slowly, she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. For some reason, the thought didn't bother her as much as she might have previously assumed it would - quite the opposite. A swarm of butterflies raked against her stomach. Weird.

"Is that not alright? I mean, I knew that you were tired, so I carried you in here, but then you were cold, so . . ." he blurted out, not really thinking. Sheepishly, he scratched his neck. "I'm really sorry, Carrots." She tentatively patted his paw.

"It's okay, Nick," she told him. For the first time since their friendship began, Judy felt something she never thought she'd feel around her partner: awkwardness. She wasn't _mad_ , just out of place, and she didn't really know what to do. Never before had she felt so self conscious around the fox she saved lives with.

Dang. There went her morning.

"Let's go get breakfast," Nick said quickly, filing the silence stretched out between the two. With a dull nod, Judy followed, acutely aware of how their paws brushed as they folded the sheets up. Her fur felt like it was slowly catching fire.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

* * *

During the car ride across the city to I HOP, the local restaurant run by a family of frogs, Judy couldn't help but think about the way their friendship had grown and changed over the last year. Nick was easily her best friend, no matter what happened. But were they really _just_ friends, or was the unofficial duo they had formed beginning to surpass that label? Of course, she trusted the fox with her life, but the bunny was beginning to notice things. They were little things, really, and probably not very important, but still - they were ever present in their relationship.

There were several instances in which Judy almost grabbed Nick's hand, just for reassurance. With anybody else, she wouldn't have thought twice, but with him, she feared it could turn far more intimate. And then there were times in which she caught her partner staring at her. He could have been zoning out for some of them, but in most instances she _knew_ he was looking at her because of the way he let out sharp gasps or blinked in surprise and appreciation. It didn't happen often, just enough for her to begin to wonder.

And then, of course, there was the time they had fallen on the floor at his place. She had sworn that he was about to kiss her for a brief second. But that was crazy, wasn't it? The two were just friends, and besides, they had pulled away a few seconds later. She was probably just caught up in the heat of the moment, as was he.

Right?

Then why did she always feel all warm and fuzzy next to -

"No, not even going there," she scolded herself. Thank goodness she wasn't driving, or else she would have hit about a million different pedestrians.

"Did you say something, Fluff?" asked her male companion, not taking his eyes off the road. She flushed again, choosing to look out the window so he wouldn't see her red cheeks. This was the quietest car trip they had ever made. Usually the two were always talking; about what varied during the day and occasion, but the car was never void of sound.

Seriously, whatever had happened between them this morning was really messing with her head.

"Oh, nothing, Slick," she hummed. In a ditch effort to get things back on track, she pulled out a random question from the back of her mind. "So, what do you think is the most annoying thing about yourself?" He jolted forwards in surprise. Judy nearly kicked herself. Where the heck did _that_ come from?

"Well, I don't know," he gasped, trying to regain composure again. "I've got looks, brains, a great job, my own place, and a fantastic sense of humor." He smirked at her from the side, just to let her know he was joking. "What's not to like, Carrots?" She laughed, genuinely humored.

"I didn't know you were so full of yourself, Slick," she wheezed, her sides aching. "And I thought you were obsessed before!" He faked offense, holding a paw over his heart.

"Me? Never. I've changed my mind. I do have an annoying quality," he responded solemnly.

"Is that so?" she pondered. "I never thought I would get you to admit it. I think you hit your head." He shrugged lightly, stopping at a red light. Now they were almost at the diner.

"Yup. My annoying-ness stems directly from a certain cop I know who bullies me relentlessly." Judy nearly did a double take.

"What? I'm a part of you?"

"Hard to believe, huh? I get that a lot. Unfortunately I can't get rid of her," he continued, only half aware of what he was saying as the light turned green and he pulled into the parking lot. "She's one of those essential things, you know. Like a soul, or a brain . . . actually, she's more like the heart. I can't live without her. She keeps me going." He bit his lip and parked the car just so, completely oblivious to the staggering effect his words had on his fellow officer. Suddenly the bunny found it hard to breath correctly. "We're here, Judy," he told her unnecessarily. With fake regality he marched around the car and opened her door. "My league."

"You're such a sap," she chided, but on the inside, as her heart pounded against her ribcage, all she could think was one thing: _oh no_.

* * *

 **So this was chapter 10. I'm sorry that it's so short after such a long wait. I HAVE HAD SO MANY EXAMS. Standardized testing sucks. Anyhow, their pointless adventures at the fast food place will be chronicled in the next chapter, which will probably be created and posted in another week or two - possibly earlier, if I have time. Anyhow, I hope everyone enjoyed this increase of pace and that you will check out my other stories. I've written for Gravity Falls, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Miraculous Ladybug, Star Vs The Forces Of Evil, Keeper of Lost Cities . . . the list just goes on and on. I'm an active part of too many fandoms. **

**Anyways, bye for now! Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm skipping the disclaimer. I doubt anybody reads them anyways.**

* * *

"What will it be, folks?" a waitress asked the two. Their booth was small and both animals were effectively smushed against one another, which was really beginning to restrict their movements. Alas, it was either this or having to deal with an hour long wait for a bigger table, so they had resigned themselves to their fate with reluctance.

"I'll have 5 regular pancakes and a side of chocolate milk," Nick asserted for the waitress, who busied herself by jolting down their order. Judy resisted the urge to snort. He was reading this off the kids' menu, or course. Her partner had requested to have the 'little critter menu' as soon as they had entered the building. This was just further proof that her companion truly was a five year old kit in disguise.

"I'm sure you will," she said, opting for a smirk. "Meanwhile, like every mature grown up on the planet, _Nick_ , I will have a cup of coffee and a silver five."

"The first time you tried caffeine was on the way back from _the place_." Nick's expression turned almost haughty. "A whole cup will have you bouncing off the walls, Fluff." She crossed her arms and faked annoyance. Her companion tried to pretend that her actions weren't adorable.

"You act like the sugary pancakes and the excess chocolate milk won't do the same to you, Slick. We can be hyperactive together."

"Oh, the claws are finally coming out."

"I try."

"Feisty little bunny, I see. You wound me, Carrots."

"What can I say?" she teased. "I'm wild at heart."

"Don't you mean 'Wilde', Ms. Hopps?" the fox responded smoothly. After a second, though, he froze. "I mean, not that you are . . ."

"I'm still here, you know," reminded their server. She appeared to be a middle aged jaguar called Sandra, judging by her name tag. The waitress took a moment to smile at the stunned duo; they had been completely oblivious to the woman. "I take it that's all?"

"Yes, that's it," Judy nodded, beginning to blush. The jaguar gave them a knowing look and wagged her finger slightly.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving. Don't want to interrupt the happy couple, now." With that said, she began to walk away.

"It's not like that! We're not a couple!" gasped Judy after the waitress, who had already gotten out of earshot. The gray bunny slumped back down in the booth.

"Look at it like this, Fluff: we are a couple. We're a couple of animals waiting to be fed. I don't know about you, but this place better hurry up. I'm starving!" She couldn't help but laugh at his corny jokes; Nick was _special_ in his own right.

"You're a dork," she proclaimed, ignoring the way her heart hammered. _Being a couple didn't exactly sound bad . . ._

"Yes, but you keep me around anyways. I'm your dork now," he told her dutifully. The rabbit only rolled her eyes.

"Right, until you get married. Then you'll be some other girl's dork." All he could do was shake his head.

"You're wrong."

"Huh?"

"I'll always be your dork, even if I got married." After a split second, he amended that statement. "Especially if I married you." Judy . . . well, she pretty much short circuited. "Are you all right?" asked Nick, still not really realizing what he just said.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she told his hoarsely. Nothing else was spoken for the next several minutes. Much like the car ride, the environment turned unusually quiet. This silence was broken only after Nick decided to use his kids meal crayons as walrus tusks, earning a chuckle from Judy and a glare from a walrus sitting across the restaurant.

"How is it that you're an adult? I swear you're still in grade school," she grinned at him, happy to be back in more familiar (and therefore less romantically confusing) territory.

"Ah, you finally figured out my secret. I'm actually only two feet tall. It's all the fur, you see."

"But of course it's the fur. That explains so much, actually," she hummed in agreement. He laughed now, and she couldn't help but smile at his face. He looked so _happy_.

 _There it was again_! That flip in her stomach. It couldn't be . . .

There was no way she liked her partner; not like that. He was silly, childish, impulsive, and cracked terrible jokes. He was simply . . .

He was simply the guy she would always go to with her problems, or whenever she had a bad day, or whenever she just wanted to see someone. He was the animal that made her laugh for no reason at all, the one who always had her back no matter what. He was brave, smart, talented, sweet . . .

He was simply the best friend she'd ever had.

There was no way she would risk losing him over whatever _this_ was becoming. Whatever happened this morning when she woke up with him would not affect their relationship negatively; she refused to let that happen.

They ate together only 20 minutes after they placed their order. Nick, playing the role of the sly fox he was, kept stealing bites off of her plate whenever she so much as blinked. In retaliation, Judy would scribble on top of his 'little critter' drawing, effectively ruining it.

Neither of them really minded, however. That was just the way of it. They were Wilde and Hopps, the renowned and elite crime-fighting unit, and _this_ was what they lived for.

As the duo paid the bill for breakfast and left the diner, the gray bunny felt accomplished in some small way.

Nick only felt full. He ate way too many pancakes.

* * *

 **So, yup. This was essentially a useless filler chapter.**

 **Sue me. I'm currently working on about 10 other fanfics at the moment as well as managing school, a blog (that I am way behind on posts with), writing three books, and reading. Existing right now without spontaneously combusting is kind of a full time job.**

 **Anyways, I'm sorry this update is so late. I promise that I have no intentions of abandoning this story anytime soon; I've just been super busy.**

 **in the meantime, expect another oneshot (probably for Miraculous Ladybug or Heroes of Olympus) within the next two weeks. I will add to this story whenever I get the chance. For sure, it will happen within the next month, just don't expect anything right away.**

 **Bye for now, everybody! I'll see you soon!**


	12. Update (aka Random Rant and Surprise)

**Hey, everybody! No, this is not a chapter, it's an update, because I feel the need to rant.**

 **I, for one, think Nick x Judy is adorable, and a lot of people agree. I get that not everybody feels this way, and that's cool. But I honestly can't stand it when someone straight up tells me that the pairing sucks and my story about them is crap.**

 **I mean, I get it. I'm far from the best writer out there. I just started this fanfic out of fun and an interesting idea. However, some random guest totally just dissed this story, and I'm kinda mad, so thus my angry spiel.**

 **So anyways, I'm not going to stop this fic. I'm going to end it if it kills me (and it probably will, at this point)! But to any other readers, know that I appreciate the kind reviews. I think what I said to the world in the comments section, if you read that, sums up everything pretty well. In exact words, here it is:**

I needed to write something quick to address the random guest that just commented on this story. I get that not everybody will like my stories. I mean, I can make the characters a bit OC. I didn't mean to make this into a big production and I've never claimed that I am any good at this. But seriously? Not for nothing, but flat out telling me that, "Try to make ideas that DON'T MAKE UP 99.99% of this Fanfiction category! Please! But it doesn't really matter anyway. Thanks to stories like yours this fandom is complete shit," is uncalled for. I'm sorry and all, but WHAT THE HECK. This is still just my first fic in this universe and I am writing to vent creativity and feels, not to make a novel. I've only been a user for a couple months at most. Cut me some slack.

In the future, to anyone who sees this or reads my stories, know that I am open to criticism but only if it adds something. I don't need people to be singing my praises in order to be happy. But bashing someone for no reason only makes you look like an ass.

Just don't. If you don't like something, don't worry about it. Just move on; there are tons of better stories out there, I'm sure.

 **Yeah . . . looking back at this after a few minutes, I realize it wasn't the most eloquent and it may seem a little harsh. I just want everyone to know what happened in case you were looking at the comments section like, 'What the heck?'. That being said, I don't think a little anger was out of place; I quoted directly from the person's review. It's pretty aggressive.**

 **I may be overreacting. Actually, scratch that; I probably _am_ overreacting. It's just been a long week for me and I feel the need to justify this outburst. I'm sorry for all people who are reading this for the first time and get turned off by this chapter. I don't want to discourage anything. Writing this up is just a good way to vent. **

**And to procrastinate. It's a great excuse for avoiding my work right now.**

 **Anyways, congratulations! If you're reading this, you survived my maelstrom of fury!**

 **Now for the actual update part.**

 **About that . . . I lied. It's more of a sneak peek than an update. I figured that if you had to endure that, I might as well provide a few lines of dialogue I created for the next chapter. Surprise, I guess?**

 **Despite that anonymous jerk continuing to be an anonymous jerk, he/she _did_ have a point. My story has become a bit of a mainstream romantic plothole. I need to steer the fanfic away from whatever the heck I've been trying to hastily impose upon the characters and give this more grounding. Zootopia was great because of the story itself, not the romantic subplots that were hinted at in it. I should have been following that suit a little better with the last several chapters.**

 **Not to say that I'm not still going to make them a couple. I will . . . just not with as much lazy filler fluff intermingled with the storyline. It will be a lot more planned out and will have more of a concrete plot. Romance will be a part of that plot, don't worry, it'll just be more quality and less OC.**

 **So, yup. That's what I have to say.**

 **I hope you guys like the preview.**

* * *

"Are you sure you read it correctly?" Judy questioned once more. She had been in charge of driving while he had opted for navigator.

It figured. The first time they had gotten a job after 3 months of staying out of the field, it would be in the most obscure place possible. The duo had been driving for nearly half the day, leaving the city under the orders of Mrs. Spike. It was supposedly a portion of their 'next assignment', but so far all they had seen was road and country.

This in and of itself wasn't exactly a surprise. Much of the land immediately outside Zootopia was filled with more rural land, but with the build up their new abilities had caused, the furry gray cop was honestly expecting something a little more grand. Moving to the diverse metropolitan area had been so incredible and life changing; everything about it was magical and brand new. The high rises, the private living conditions, the fountains and vendors and people . . . it had truly been a dream come true. She had naturally assumed that acquiring her 'watch' would have come with the same sort of momentous fanfare.

However, when said 'watch' is also a key tool in a secret government project, its celebration tends to be kept under wraps. Thus her newfound power to transform had gone miffingly unnoticed, and it was all too easy to forget about it. You'd think that this monumental instrument would never let itself remain unnoticed, and yet, aside from training, she honestly had no practical use for it. Sure, it was amazing, but not a major groundbreaking part of her life yet. It was as if it had yet to sink in with Judy that the watch was _hers_. No buts about it.

Even during her first assignment, the first time it would become useful, it remained dormant. Only Nick's was even activated, and that was only for the remainder of a terrible dinner in the middle of a fake date.

Now the tool from Project T would finally be used for some sort of secret task, and she honestly couldn't wait. Something exciting was going to happen; maybe something that would change everything. Even though their instructions were vague as all get out - all the partners were told to do was follow a marked route on a map - the bunny could feel it in her bones.

This might just be the excitement she had been unwittingly wishing for.

* * *

 **So . . . yeah. It's just a couple hundred words, but I'm trying to get this fic to have more build up and I think this sets the stage for the next chapter nicely.**

 **Mwahaha. I've attempted somewhat of a cliffhanger. I might elaborate a little more on this section when the chapter actually comes around, but I hope that this fans your interest until then.**

 **Please don't think of me as a jerk. I know that the following sentence sounds pretty lame, but I really try to avoid emulating that vibe towards my readers and all I did for the first half of this document was beat a dead horse concerning a comment. A single, stupid comment.**

 **I've actually just deleted said comment. In exact words, all of it said:**

NICK X JUDY?! WHY?!

These stories are absolute CANCER!

Try to make ideas that DON'T MAKE UP 99.99% of this Fanfiction category! Please!

But it doesn't really matter anyway. Thanks to stories like yours this fandom is complete shit.

 **I swear, I'm not making this stuff up. I couldn't if i tried. I'm not _that_ self derogatory . . . or am I? **

**Nah, pretty sure I'm not. ;-)**

 **. . . but for about the millionth time on this document, that isn't an excuse.** **Again, I apologize for that rant. I will be better.**

 **Anyways, I look forward to hearing about the sneak peek. If you guys like the idea, I might do that more often when I'm taking a while to write something (and not when I am aggressively taking out my anger at the keyboard).**

 **See you all sometime this month! I will be done with the chapter by then!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey! Since everybody knows that I don't and never will own Zootopia, that gets the disclaimer out of the way. This is more of an author's note than anything else.**

 **I'm sorry that this is so late. Again, I have a bunch of new stuff coming out and updating this fell lower on the priority list. Between school, at least 5 other short oneshots, updating my shorts collection called Arguing, a three shot for the Magnus Chase series, a 5 shot for the Harry Potter Next Gen community, a (long) oneshot request from a user, a blog that I'm terribly behind on, friends, family trips, a Polyvore account . . . yeah, I have a lot on my plate. But I really wanted to get out this chapter before I forgot about it. Again, nothing on Earth (except death, really) is going to make me discontinue this story. It will get a conclusion, even if I have to resort to updating once a month now.**

 **So, yeah. That's my side tangent. Kudos to anybody who decides to read through these things - I know it can be torture at times. Anyways, onwards to the story!**

* * *

"Are you sure you read it correctly?" Judy questioned once more. She had been in charge of driving while he had opted for navigator.

It figured. The first time they had gotten a job after 3 months of staying out of the field, it would be in the most obscure place possible. The duo had been driving for nearly half the day, leaving the city under the orders of Mrs. Spike. It was supposedly a portion of their 'next assignment', but so far all they had seen was road and country.

This in and of itself wasn't exactly a surprise. Much of the land immediately outside Zootopia was filled with more rural land, but with the build up their new abilities had caused, the furry gray cop was honestly expecting something a little more grand. Moving to the diverse metropolitan area had been so incredible and life changing; everything about it was magical and brand new. The high rises, the private living conditions, the fountains and vendors and people . . . it had truly been a dream come true. She had naturally assumed that acquiring her 'watch' would have come with the same sort of momentous fanfare.

However, when said 'watch' is also a key tool in a secret government project, its celebration tends to be kept under wraps. Thus her newfound power to transform had gone miffingly unnoticed, and it was all too easy to forget about it. You'd think that this monumental instrument would never let itself remain unnoticed, and yet, aside from training, she honestly had no practical use for it. Sure, it was amazing, but not a major groundbreaking part of her life yet. It was as if it had yet to sink in with Judy that the watch was _hers_. No buts about it.

Even during her first assignment, the first time it would become useful, it remained dormant. Only Nick's was even activated, and that was only for the remainder of a terrible dinner in the middle of a fake date.

Now the tool from Project T would finally be used for some sort of secret task, and she honestly couldn't wait. Something exciting was going to happen; maybe something that would change everything. Even though their instructions were vague as all get out - all the partners were told to do was follow a marked route on a map - the bunny could feel it in her bones.

This might just be the excitement she had been unwittingly wishing for.

"Yes, I'm doing it correctly, Carrots," he grumbled, flipping the map in a different direction. "Now, have you seen any roads marked 'Springfield'?"

"About a half hour ago, maybe. Why?"

"Well, good. We're probably going the right way, then."

"Probably?!" she cried out, starting to glare at her partner. "Nick . . . "

"Hey, that's about a 90% chance," he shrugged, far from phased. Over the months as her partner, the red fox has begun to build an immunity to her glares. "We're going to be fine."

"If we're lost because of you, I will flay you myself," she groaned warningly, focusing her eyes back on the road. "Just tell me when to turn."

"Can do, Captain Hopps." She rolled her eyes, starting to smile again. That was just their dynamic; no matter how much they worked eachother up, they couldn't remain mad for long. And, she must admit, his stupid nicknames were growing on her with time.

"That's kind of sad, Nick," she hummed, not really upset anymore.

"Well, would you prefer Admiral?"

"Are we on some sort of boat?"

"Yup. Noah's Ark. I'm pretty sure some giraffes couldn't make it aboard, so it's just some foxes and rabbits." Sure enough, real laughter bubbled out of her mouth, followed by a smile.

"You really are ridiculous."

"Naturally," he replied instantly, "but you're my best friend. What do you think that says about you?"

" . . . I'd rather not think about that horrifying statement, actually." She sighed, looking at the blank expanse of road. "Again, isn't there supposed to be a right turn?"

"In about another mile, yeah."

"Good. I just want to _get there_ already, you know?" Judy explained. "We've been driving for an eternity already, and while usually I'm pretty patient, I feel a little too wound up right now. I'm too excited." Nick simply shrugged his shoulders for a second time.

"I guess I understand, but I'm not all that wired. I'm too tired. Maybe it's just your freakish bunny energy that's keeping you going."

"Maybe," she remarked, finally making her right hand turn. "Thank goodness that was quick. I was about to hurl something out the window - preferably you."

"Ouch," he fake winced, grabbing his shirt. "That stung, Carrots." The gray bunny only smiled smugly.

"Get used to it, Slick. We're almost there, right?"

"Almost. Just another couple miles to go, if I'm reading this map correctly."

"So, in a couple of miles we'll either see it or have to drive back down the road to see what turn you made us miss?"

"Exactly," he affirmed, leaning back in his chair.

"That's comforting."

"Yup." As another 5 minutes went by, Judy saw another road in the distance. She nudged her partner.

"Do you think that's it?"

"Probably," he told her. "I mean, it fits, I guess. What else is it going to be?"

"I'm turning, then," she said. "We're almost there."

"Yes, we should just go straight for another 10 miles." The car fell silent again, and for the next several minutes, neither cop uttered a word. Nick opted to look at the fleeting grass from outside the window, while Judy kept her eyes firmly on the ever stretching mass of pavement ahead of her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of driving, the two made out a tall building. It was plated in silver, and it looked as if somebody had wrapped it in aluminum foil. The roof was flat, and there were few windows in the structure. Outside, however, was a familiar face. Judy eagerly parked the car and ran out.

"Thenson!" she squealed, hugging the scientist who first introduced them to the project. Although they had hardly known him, there was something undeniably friendly about the leopard. Luckily, he seemed to feel the same way about the cops.

"So the duo has arrived!" he beamed, taking a moment to hug Judy back and to shake hands with Nick. "So, how was the drive?"

"Long and boring," the bunny said sheepishly. "I was kinda loosing patience, especially since _that one_ was having trouble with the map."

"We're here now, though," Nick reminded her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, yes we are. That was a painful trip." Thenson continued smiling at the two cops. They were oddly adorable, even when at odds.

"I take it you know why you're here?" Thenson inquired. The officers shook their heads, and he couldn't help but sigh. Did anybody bother keeping their subjects informed? "You're here for the next leg of your training. You've mastered basic maneuvers; now it's time to pick it up a notch. Here you will learn how to use grappling hooks, scale ventilation shafts, and vault over walls. This training will take place in and out of your native forms, as you need to be able to transform at a moment's notice. I'm going to be overseeing your progress and observing your training with Mrs. Spike out here."

"So we're going to be like spies? Because I don't regularly vault over walls," Nick snorted, still in a bit of disbelief. Judy, on the other hand, was nothing if not ecstatic.

"Isn't it great?!" she squeaked, clearly excited to have a greater opportunity to do something with her tech.

Hey, at least one of them seemed confident.

* * *

 **So, yeah. Sorry if this dissapointed anybody, but at this point, I just needed to get it out there. I will try to update sometime this month. If it's dragging on, I'll include a sneak peek.**

 **See you next time, guys!**


End file.
